The Prodigy
by ImaginaryStranger
Summary: The world where Naruto didn't become loud and his growth wasn't stunned. The world where Hiruzen Sarutobi made an actual effort to help the blond. The world where Naruto could be called a prodigy instead of a failure.
1. Prologue

Welcome to my first story! Please keep in mind that English isn't my native language. I can and will appreciate any and all adequate criticism. If any of you have any questions feel free to ask them in comments section, I will try to answer as many of them as I can.

 _ **Disclaimer**_ — ** _I don't own Naruto and it's original characters._**

~0~0~0~0~0~

Prologue

Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, was tired. Throughout the night he had to wait for his son to be born and repel several attempts of the unknown foe to kidnap his child and kill his wife. But all this paled in comparison to the danger he faced now, namely, The Kyubi.

Amazingly enough his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, had enough strength left to set up a barrier that left Kyubi isolated from the rest of the village. This, however, didn't solve the problem itself. Both parents knew that there is only one way to stop the rampaging Tailed Beast, which consisted of sealing it in their newborn son with the usage of the most powerful seal in existence — Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

"I hope someday you will be able to forgive me, Naruto..." Said the Fourth sadly before he started to make necessary hand-seals.

Before he even finished by clapping his hands, a shadowy figure could be seen materializing seemingly from nowhere behind his back — The Shinigami.

Raising his tanto in front of him, Minato looked one last time on his wife and son before plunging the blade into his stomach, Shinigami mimicking his actions.

Being one of the most competent seal masters in existence, he was able to make several changes in the initial seal. One of them started working immediately and ripped Kyubi's chakra in two different parts: Yin and Yang. Whereas Yin part he sealed in himself almost immediately, Yang part managed to break free for long enough to stab both Minato and Kushina, narrowly missing Naruto. With one final roar Kyubi was sealed inside the baby, while his Yin part disappeared inside the Shinigami's stomach together with Minato's soul.

~0~0~0~0~0~

As soon as Kushina's barrier disappeared, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, shunshined to the sealing altar. What he saw, though, made his stomach drop.

Minato was lying on his back, in the pool of his own blood. His cut open stomach and bloodied tanto made Hiruzen realize exactly what he did. But before he could even take one step, his attention was brought to the crying baby, lying on the altar near similarly dead Kushina.

Baby's golden hair and blue eyes clearly showed the aging Hokage who's son he is. What shocked Hiruzen the most, however, was three prominent whisker marks on each of the baby's cheeks. "Minato..." Sadly sighed Hiruzen before making his way to the crying baby. He picked Naruto up just just in time for several ANBU to appear before him.

"Lord Third, what…" Trailed off one of the operatives as soon as he caught sight of the baby.

Seeing that Naruto's unique traits is going to complicate the situation, Hiruzen quickly gave several orders in attempt to distract them. "I want every single member of the council present in the council chambers as soon as possible." Ordered the aging Hokage in a tone that left no room to argue.

As soon as last ANBU disappeared after taking one last glance at Naruto, Hiruzen exhaled in sadness and relief. "I can only hope you knew what you were doing, Minato…" Sighed the Third Hokage one last time before making his way to the Hokage Residence.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Roughly half an hour later council chambers was filled to the brim. As soon as Hiruzen delivered the news of Minato's death almost every single member of the council erupted in uproar. Only the likes of Fugaku Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, Hiashi Hyuga and Shikaku Nara remained relatively calm and collected. Before the aging Hokage could call for silence, however, someone addressed the issue few noticed up until now.

"Hokage-sama..." Spoke up one of the civilian councilors, "What this baby is doing here?"

The silence was deafening. Several aging councilors, such as Homura, Koharu and Danzo immediately realized who, or what, was the baby.

Hiruzen sighed sadly. He planned to address this issue after he established at least some sort of order. _'_ _I hope they will see reason before acting...'_ Thought the Third tiredly.

"His name is Naruto… and he is the new Jinchuriki of the Kyubi."

Sarutobi regretted his answer immediately when council chambers erupted in uproar anew. This time, though, Hiruzen didn't wait for everyone to settle down. "Silence!" Shouted the aging Hokage before releasing sizable amount of killer intent.

"I will not tolerate such attitude in regard to a child!" Stated Sarutobi. "Moreover, I am making his status as a Jinchuriki an S-rank secret, any mention of his 'condition' to anyone outside of those currently present will be punishable by death." Continued Hiruzen firmly.

"I suppose adopting him into a clan would be impossible?" Shikaku spoke up for the first time during a meeting.

"Indeed..." Sighed the Hokage "Adopting Jinchuriki into a clan can be proven disastrous, and because of this he will be placed in the orphanage." _'At least_ _there_ _he will have a chance for normal_ _childhood_ _...'_ Thought Hiruzen sadly. "Now, I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss." He continued before anyone could argue.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Life wasn't kind to one Naruto Uzumaki. At the age of three he already acted more reserved and cautious than most adults or even several shinobi. The reason for that kind of behavior was harsh treatment he received from basically almost everyone around him. Every time he tried to strike a conversation with someone his age, at least one adult nearby would insult him by calling him either 'demon brat', 'monster', 'murderer' or several other names before telling other children to never associate with him. This greatly confused and angered Naruto, since he knew that he did nothing to deserve such treatment.

In fact, the only person in the whole village who treated him with kindness was the Hokage. Old Man, as Naruto called him, would often check up on him in the orphanage and treat him to some sweets. Their meetings usually didn't last long since Hokage had a lot of responsibilities, but it was enough for Naruto to respect and admire the man.

The Fourth, however, didn't escape Naruto's attention either. Hiruzen more often than not told the boy stories about him. The man fascinated Naruto, or more specifically his history. Minato Namikaze didn't come from some famous clan and his parents weren't a particularly strong shinobi, but it didn't stop him from becoming one of the most famous and feared ninja of his own time. Shinobi such as him gave Naruto hope that someday he will be able to prove himself and show everyone that he isn't the 'monster' that people saw in him.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Naruto, now four years old, stood in his newly acquired apartment. It wasn't too spacious but at the same time had everything one person, let alone a kid, would need: bedroom, small kitchen and a bathroom. The reason he got the apartment, though, was non too pleasant.

 _'At least I won't have to put up with those jerks anymore_ _,_ _'_ Naruto thought bitterly.

Several days ago his heavily drunk caretaker decided that 'demon brat', apparently, stayed at the orphanage for long enough, and literally shoved Naruto out on the street. Normally, such an act would do nothing to really upset Naruto, after all, he already got used to such harsh treatment. No, what really upset him was the fact that the day caretaker decided to throw him out was his birthday, namely, the October tenth.

The blond didn't understand why would someone want to commit such an act in a day that, at least according to Hokage, supposed to be full of entertainment.

"I suppose that after all those years I really should have known better..." Sighed Naruto while he rested on his new bed. _'At least Old Man gave me this apartment_ _,_ _'_ thought the blond while recalling how the aging Hokage let Naruto stay with him in the Hokage Residence until suitable apartment could be found.

The Hokage himself, obviously, wasn't amused. Naruto shuddered remembering the look on Old Man's face that promised pain and misery. _'It's not like he didn't deserve it...'_ Naruto pondered silently before shifting his attention to several scrolls and books lying on the nearby table. _'_ _On the bright side,_ _I will finally have enough time to myself to start training with those scrolls Old Man gave me_ _,_ _'_ contemplated the blond with no small amount of anticipation.

~0~0~0~0~0~

 _Flashback_

 _Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't a happy man. Because the village lacked suitable candidates for the position of the Fifth Hokage after his successor's untimely death the Third was reinstated in his position. And while this allowed him to help Naruto from his position of power, it was obviously wasn't enough. Since caretaker at the orphanage, unfortunately, treated Naruto just as harsh as any other villager, Sarutobi was forced to make a decision: he could either let the boy stay with him or get the blond his own apartment. And while letting him live in Hokage Residence would definitely be a better choice in any other case, putting Naruto under an imaginary spotlight wasn't in Hiruzen's best interests. That left only one option, namely, letting Naruto live all by himself._

 _Before he could ponder over his decision some more, however, he was interrupted by a loud crash and a quiet voice coming from the library. And while the Third had confidence in his guards and security overall, he always approached the unknown with caution, especially in his own home._

 _Upon walking into the spacious room, his attention was immediately brought to several spikes of blonde hair sticking out from behind one of the tables. "Naruto?" Hiruzen began uncertainly while slightly dropping his guard._

 _"One second!" Replied the blond before quickly standing up from behind the table with several scrolls in his hands. "Sorry for the mess, several of those scrolls were surprisingly heavy." Continued Naruto with a slight smile._

 _"What are you looking for?" Asked Sarutobi curiously with a raised eyebrow. It was then that he noticed at least a dozen different scrolls and books lying in several piles across the table Naruto was occupying._

 _"Taijutsu and Fuinjutsu scrolls and books, I thought that since I will have more free time from now on, I might as well start my training." Explained Naruto while sorting through several newly found scrolls._

 _Hiruzen was briefly surprised by blond's choice, namely, fuinjutsu, before remembering how Naruto idolized the Fourth. 'Who knows, considering who his parents were, he might even surpass Minato...' Thought Sarutobi before walking up to Naruto._

 _"Since you are so determined to begin your training, I might as well help you get started." Offered the aging Hokage before helping Naruto decide which scrolls should he start with._

~0~0~0~0~0~

Since then, a little over a year has passed. During first several months Naruto adjusted to both his new home and his training regime. Naruto's physical exercises mostly focused on building up blond's speed and reflexes, as well as his sensory abilities. Each morning since establishing his training schedule Naruto would run a couple kilometers around one of the most secluded training grounds, do several stretching exercises and practice his aiming and throwing skills with shuriken and kunai. After finishing his target practice the blond would do several hundred push ups, squats and pull-ups before proceeding with his hand-to-hand combat training.

Naruto's taijutsu training consisted of several different styles which mostly utilized quick and precise strikes to the target's weak spots and nerve endings. For that purpose he read several books on human anatomy. And although studying several styles at once meant that he would need more time before he could practice more advanced techniques, it gave him an edge in actual combat, namely, unpredictability.

However, if there was an area in which Naruto could be called a prodigy, it would definitely be fuinjutsu. Despite the fact that he had to start almost from scratch and practically relearn calligraphy, Naruto successfully made his first working storage seal in a matter of weeks. In the following months the blond managed to perfect the formula and learn it's several versions. Since one of them allowed the user to choose what exactly the seal can be used on, Naruto was able to save a lot of time by utilizing it in his apartment as some sort of vacuum cleaner. The blond would have started working on explosive seals, but decided against it, at least until after he was confident enough in his speed and reflexes. Not to mention the fact that more complex seals require a great deal of chakra control, which Naruto severely lacked.

Today, though, Naruto decided against training in favor of short stroll in secluded area of the park. Despite the fact that it was the middle of December and majority of trees were covered in snow, the blond didn't wear anything warmer than a jacket. For some reason, he always had a strong immune system and never got sick.

Naruto came to an abrupt stop, however, when he heard someone softly crying while another, slightly older voice, was loudly laughing. After pinpointing the direction from which the sound came from the blond immediately ran to investigate. The sight that greeted him upon reaching the origin of the voice made his blood boil. Small girl, no older than four or five, was kneeling on the ground and crying, while in front of her stood three obviously older boys, each wearing a smug looking smirk. Naruto didn't think twice before making his presence known.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Interjected the blond.

Hearing someone from behind them made three older teens turn in the direction of the voice. Upon seeing Naruto, one of them gave the blond a scowl.

"What do you want? Get lost, 'demon', or do you want us to beat you too?" Asked the boldest one with a sneer.

Upon hearing someone who sounded like he was her age, Hinata looked up to see a blond boy with three prominent whisker-like marks on each cheek. Even thought she didn't understand why older teens called him a 'monster' or his reasons for helping her, Hinata couldn't help but worry for his well-being.

"Who said I'll be the one beaten? You three look pretty weak from my point of view." Replied Naruto with a taunting smirk.

Just like Naruto had expected, one of the teens immediately rushed at him with his left hand balled into a fist. When he was close enough, the blond dived under the blow and elbowed the charging teenager in his left kidney, forcing him to kneel in pain. Not waiting for the older boy to get up, Naruto quickly turned around and punched the kneeling teenager on the back of his head.

After others have seen how quickly Naruto got rid of his attacker, their eyes widened in fear and they ran past Naruto after taking with them their unconscious friend. Unfortunately, it didn't stop them from insulting the blond.

"The adults were right about you, you are a monster!" Shouted one of the bullies one last time before running off. Naruto sighed audibly band turned to face the girl he 'rescued'.

"Are you alright?" Asked the blond while offering her a hand.

Hinata, for her part, was still shocked that someone decided to help her, not to mention the fact that the boy looked no older than her. She hesitantly took the offered hand and stood up before taking a small step back. Hinata shyly ducked her head when Naruto glanced at her questioningly. "Y-you are not m-mad at m-me?" She asked softly. The byakugan princess was greatly puzzled by his behavior, since nobody outside of her clan ever made friends with her. _'_ _H_ _e probably just doesn't know_ _who_ _I_ _a_ _m..._ _'_ She thought sadly.

"Why would I be?" Asked Naruto with curiosity and confusion.

"B-because I'm a Hyuga..." Hinata replied quietly, mentally preparing for new round of verbal assault. To her surprise, though, the boy didn't start to insult her.

Naruto read about several most influential clans in Konoha, Hyuga Clan being one of them. He didn't meet any other Hyuga personally, but he did, however, ask Old Man about them while studying. From what Naruto could gather, Hyugas were supposed to be mostly emotionless and very strict in almost everything. Hinata, so far, was a complete opposite. _'She probably doesn't have any friends because of her family_ _,_ _'_ thought Naruto with understanding before making a decision.

"What's your name?" The blond asked kindly with a slight smile.

Surprise must have shown on her face, because the next thing she knew, the mysterious blond started to explain his reasoning.

"Don't get me wrong, I won't try to assault you. I read about your clan, and as far as I know they supposed to have a very uptight nature. Since I'm not an expert in this kind of thing, I can only guess that you don't have many friends?" Continued Naruto softly.

To say that Hinata was shocked would be an understatement. No one ever offered her to become friends. Even inside her clan she was treated harshly by other kids because of her position. Hinata, despite her timidity, wasn't about to pass up such an opportunity.

"H-hinata H-hyuga..." The girl introduced herself quietly.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Replied the blond with a rapidly growing smile. Before he could continue, however, a loud voice calling out for Hinata caught their attention.

Naruto's smile vanished, replaced by disappointment. _'I will just have to find her later_ _,_ _'_ decided the blond, before looking at the pale-eyed princess once again. "Unfortunately, I have to go, I will see you later, alright?" Naruto offered gently.

"A-alright..." Replied Hinata feeling equally disappointed.

Seeing her saddened face, guilt took over Naruto and he, without thinking, hugged her, before quickly making his way into the woods.

Hinata stood stock still as she watched him go. Slowly, a small smile and a rose blush appeared on her face.

Less than a minute later, one of the guards assigned to her appeared from the trees and approached her. "Hinata-sama! Please don't run off like that." He said before regaining his breath. "Let's return to the estate, it's already getting late." Continued the guard.

"S-sorry, it won't h-happen a-again." Shyly stuttered out the princess before following her escort and caretaker out of the clearing.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching the whole scene through his crystal ball with a slight smile. _'At least Naruto won't be so alone anymore_ _,_ _'_ thought the aging Hokage before focusing on his paperwork once more.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Here goes the first chapter. I posted it this early so you could comment on my mistakes and let me know how to improve.

As you probably already guessed, the main pairing in this story will be Naruto and Hinata. I hope people that don't like NaruHina won't base their opinion solely on my romance choices (even thought I have no idea how people can dislike the most adorable character in all of Elemental Nations).

Sadly, I can't promise you a concrete deadline for my next chapter, but I will try to write it as soon as I can.

P.S. What you see is a slightly edited version. Though, I am pretty sure there are many more mistakes to correct.

Until then, goodbye and take care!

ImaginaryStranger


	2. The Kidnapping

Greetings! Thank you for your reviews everyone, they were really helpful and pleasant to read!

And on that note, I present to you the brand new chapter!

 _ **Disclaimer**_ — ** _I don't own Naruto and it's original characters._**

~0~0~0~0~0~

The Kidnapping

It was twenty-seventh of December, and Konohagakure no Sato was celebrating. The reason behind villager's mood for such activities was the signing of a treaty between Konoha and Kumogakure no Sato, which ended the ongoing conflict between the two villages.

Most shops were open all night to attract more customers and a lot of villagers were getting drunk. A great deal of ANBU, as well as several dozen shinobi from Military Police Force had to be dispatched as to prevent street fights and unnecessary conflicts. Despite their best efforts, they weren't able to control a good portion of adult population of Konoha, so a drunken fight or a brawl wasn't an uncommon sight during that night. The fact that many of those who were drunk had at least basic shinobi training didn't help the matters either.

It was a perfect distraction.

~0~0~0~0~0~

This fact was well known to one Kumo ambassador. After his last meeting with the council of Konoha, as well as signing of the treaty, he quickly retired into his hotel room to make necessary preparations for his secondary mission, namely, the kidnapping of one female Hyuga from the main house. The abduction of an adult was out of the question, and only one child fit Raikage's requirements: Hinata Hyuga. The fact that she was the heiress greatly complicated Head Ninja's task, and he was forced to try and complete the mission with severe lack of information.

One of the reasons he was chosen for this task was his sensory abilities, which were among the best in Kumo. Immediately after he felt last Konoha-nin leave vicinity of his hotel, he quickly placed a complicated seal on his bed which emitted his chakra signature and had enough charge to last several hours. Such seals were specifically designed to fool enemy sensors, and only the best were able to distinguish a trap from the actual person. As soon as Kumo-nin made his last preparation he jumped out of the window, silently landed on one of the rooftops, and started running in the direction of the Hyuga compound.

Several minutes later he stopped on one of the buildings near the compound and immediately suppressed his chakra as much as he could. Kumo's Head Ninja didn't have to worry about being detected by sensors earlier since they would simply mistake him for another Konoha-nin, but Hyugas was another matter entirely. As soon as he confirmed that there were no guards between him and his target, he quickly dashed to the wall separating the compound and the rest of the village, before jumping over it and landing in a crouch on the other side. He didn't have to worry about being discovered via byakugan inside the compound since Hyugas had a very strict policies concerning it's usage inside the village, but there was still a risk of being detected during his search for the heiress.

A few minutes later, after maneuvering through a pair of hallways and evading several large chakra signatures, Kumo-nin stood at the entrance to Hinata's room. After mentally preparing for a quick escape in case that the heiress wasn't asleep, he silently opened the door.

Her room was quite spacious, but didn't have a lot of expensive furniture. In the far corner, beside the window, stood a small makeup table. Along the same wall, in the near corner, was a medium sized wardrobe. At the opposite side of the room stood bookcase, which connected to a small nightstand near a single bed where Hinata slept peacefully.

Just after he quietly performed a simple sleeping jutsu that ensured her unawareness, door behind Kumo-nin opened and one of the maids from the branch house assigned to the heiress saw him. Before he could silence her, however, she already called for guards.

Thinking quickly, and mentally cursing himself for his mistake, Head Ninja slung Hinata over his shoulder and jumped out of the window.

~0~0~0~0~0~

In another part of the village, closer to its outskirts, was another chase. Unlike Kumo-nin, though, the one who was chased did nothing to provoke such reaction from the villagers. It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the outcast of the village. _'_ _T_ _onight_ _'s walk_ _probably_ _wasn'_ _t one of my brightest ideas_ _,_ _'_ pondered the blond silently while dodging several rocks thrown by the mob. One managed to hit him in the shoulder and make him stumble, but Naruto quickly regained his footing and continued running.

While any onlooker would say that the blond wasn't happy about his predicament, Naruto himself was starting to enjoy his occasional races with the drunken villagers. Ever since he started his physical training the blond began to treat his misfortune like any other challenge. Every time he was chased, Naruto would count how much distance he covered before losing his pursuers as soon as he showed any signs of fatigue. It was a great workout. Even shinobi hardly presented some sort of challenge after several months of training, but only because they barely used any chakra to augment their speed and more often than not were highly intoxicated.

His current pursuit continued for more than half an hour, and the blond began to tire. The mob behind him consisted mostly of shinobi, since untrained civilians didn't have as much stamina as an average genin. Deciding to cut his unplanned training session short, Naruto started to lead his pursuers towards one specific training ground that guaranteed his escape — The Forest of Death.

Contrary to popular belief that forty-fourth training ground is dangerous enough only to be used by jonin or ANBU, standard shinobi training and skill equivalent to a chunin is more than enough to deal with it's flora and fauna. It's actually the main reason behind its frequent use for survival part of the chunin exams. Naruto didn't have that kind of training yet, but it never stopped the blond from trying. Several days spent in hospital after a failed attempt at creating an explosive seal without necessary level of chakra control is a testament to that.

After several more minutes of running, one of the gates leading to the Forest of Death appeared in his field of vision. Naruto immediately increased his speed as much he could, kicked off from one of the stumps, and jumped over the fence lined with barbed wire. As soon as he landed on the other side, he instantly dashed behind the trees. Thankfully, his pursuers had enough sense to stop following him. Deciding to exit the forest closer to the edge of the village, Naruto started running along the fence. He kept quite close to the border as to keep away from dangerous predators that inhabited the forest, but far enough to avoid the guards.

After he ran past several gates, he suddenly sensed something that made him stop in his tracks: a strong smell of blood. _'Considering_ _a_ _surprisingly large amount of shinobi_ _that chased me today_ _, it's entirely possible that someone was drunk enough to wander into the forest_ _,_ _'_ contemplated the blond. _'_ _However_ _, t_ _here is a high chance to stumble_ _up_ _on some predator..._ _'_ Curiosity got better of Naruto, and he started silently and cautiously tracking the source of the scent.

Less than five minutes later he came upon a small clearing surrounded by bushes and a few very large trees. At first, when the blond just approached the meadow, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Upon circling it, however, his suspicions were confirmed: a man was bandaging his bleeding shin, while trees provided him cover. _'He probably grazed the barbed wire_ _,_ _'_ noted the blond, hidden behind the bushes. _'_ _Though, h_ _e doesn't appear to be drunk...'_ As soon as the man finished and stood up, however, the sight behind him made Naruto stiffen: a small figure was lying on the ground, bound and motionless. Even though it was dark and the blond couldn't identify the figure, this two facts were enough for him to come to the conclusion that the man was a criminal.

There was a moment when Naruto was tempted to leave the victim in the hands of the kidnapper, but the blond immediately mentally slapped himself for even considering it. After determining that he was no match for a trained shinobi, Naruto decided to use the element of surprise and his speed to reach the guards stationed outside the Forest of Death and alert them.

As soon as he started to back up, however, he stepped on a branch. Both Naruto and the criminal froze, and not a second later the kidnapper threw a dozen kunai and shuriken in the general direction of the sound. Most projectiles missed, but some of them still managed to cut the blond, forcing a gasp out of him. Naruto knelt to inspect the damage to his ankle, and noted with regret that running was out of the question. When he looked up, the blond saw that the man was already in front of him, kunai in hand.

"I don't know what you're doing here, but I can't let you warn anyone." Said Kumo-nin before plunging his unarmed palm in Naruto's abdomen.

Last thing the blond saw before blacking out was the appearance of orange chakra which started to leak out of the glowing sealing matrix under his shirt.

~0~0~0~0~0~

A moment later Naruto awoke with a head-splitting headache. After shaking his head a few times he slowly sat up and opened his eyes. First thing the blond noticed was the fact that he was no longer in the forest, but in some kind of room. On his sides and behind his back were walls that stretched so high that it seemed that there was no ceiling. There were no walls in front of him, but the darkness created by lack of illumination prevented him from seeing anything beyond several dozen meters. When he glanced down, he saw that the floor was submerged in water, but only up to his ankles, and, strangely enough, it didn't feel wet.

Upon closer inspection Naruto was startled to see that his wounds completely disappeared. He knew that he had accelerated healing, and cuts received from kunai or shuriken would disappear only after several hours, but that would mean that he was either kidnapped as well, or under some kind of genjutsu. Deciding to investigate his surroundings before making any conclusions, the blond got up and started walking forward.

Barely half a minute later he started to make out some kind of structure in the darkness ahead. When he was no more then a dozen meters from it, he could clearly discern gigantic prison bars. In the center, high enough that Naruto couldn't reach it, was a tag with a kanji for 'seal' written on it. _'It's clearly_ _some kind of_ _genjutsu then_ _,_ _'_ concluded the blond with a frown. _'And I don_ _'_ _t_ _even_ _have_ _anything sharp_ _to stab myself with.'_ However, before he could make another step, a deep growl emanating from behind the bars made Naruto freeze in place.

Slowly, an enormous head of a fox with red fur and abnormally large ears emerged out of darkness of the cage. And although its size was enough to intimidate the blond, red eyes with black slits, not to mention significant fangs protruding from its mouth, were outright terrifying.

 **"Finally."** The fox began in a booming voice. **"I was starting to wonder when we will finally have this long overdue conversation."** Despite its seemingly casual 'greeting', Naruto could clearly discern hints of malice and hatred in fox's speech. **"And no, it's not a genjutsu if you are wondering."** It continued in a slightly annoyed tone.

Coming out of his stupor, the blond quickly gathered as much courage as he could before answering. "T-then what the hell are you?"

 **"Why..."** The fox started while shifting its weight to the side. One by one, nine red tails appeared from behind it and started to sway idly from side to side. **"I am the Kyubi."** The fox finished with a grin that made his already impressive fangs protrude even more.

"How can I make sure that you aren't a genjutsu?" Naruto asked after a moment of hesitation. The blond was aware that in case the fox proved to be a mere illusion, there was nothing for him to fear physically, but even knowing this Naruto couldn't help but feel nervous. The fact that he was more than likely lying unconscious in the forest full of overgrown predators only helped to intensify his fears.

 **"You can't."** Replied Kyubi with a sneer. **"Although, I am pretty sure you saw reddish orange chakra appear from a glowing seal on your stomach.** **"**

"How can you possibly know this?" Interrupted the blond. "Besides, our current surroundings aren't exactly helping your case." He continued skeptically.

 **"It's because** **we are in your mind."** The fox stated rolling his slitted eyes. **"Or at least in the representation of it, which is based on something your subconsciousness came up with as soon as you blacked out."**

"My mind?" Naruto frowned. "Why would I meet you inside my mind upon falling unconscious?" Despite his confusion, however, the blond already began to formulate several theories, one worse than the other.

 **"I think you already have several ideas as to why** **I am here** **."** Kyubi said with a knowing grin. **"You are my Jinchuriki."** He spat out last word as if it was venom.

While the name itself didn't provide Naruto any explanation, numerous memories and facts gave him enough evidence to start piecing the proverbial puzzle together. Every insult, every time he was healed faster than others, every winter without a single cold suddenly made sense. The only thing that prevented the blond from panicking was his experience in fuinjutsu, but it didn't stop the anger he felt towards his offenders from showing on his face.

 **"Do you want to get** **back at them** **?"** Asked the fox as soon as he saw Naruto's face change. Kyubi's smirk only widened when the blond looked at him curiously. **"The only thing you have to do is tear off this piece of paper** **and let me worry about the rest."** He indicated the tag on the prison bars.

Naruto's look hardened and he lowered his head. Several silent minutes passed during which he recalled how he was treated and what would Kyubi's release mean for him and the village. The thought of inflicting pain on everyone who treated him as if he was the fox himself brought him a strange feeling of satisfaction. The smirk that appeared on his face didn't go unnoticed by Kyubi. When he thought of every innocent who would undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire, though, his smirk quickly vanished. Memories of the Third, Hinata, and several other innocent kids who didn't try to offend him before their parents drove them off only solidified his decision.

"No." Said Naruto confidently after looking up at the fox.

The only warning he got was a growl before Kyubi slammed one of his enormous paws into the cage. The blond gulped and took a step back when the barrier between the two rattled, but didn't back down from his answer. **"Why?!"** The fox roared. **"Wasn't all the suffering you** **have** **endured** **over** **the years** **been** **enough for you to** **seek revenge** **?** **!** **"**

"It was." Replied Naruto after taking a few seconds to collect himself. "But you are hardly as clever as you thought you were, if you didn't expect me to think through all the consequences." Kyubi merely huffed in response before sitting down. "Besides, I don't really hate all of them."

This earned a raised eyebrow from the fox. **"And why not? They all** **loathe** **you the same."**

"No, not the same." Naruto shook his head. "Civilians, even the ones who live in shinobi village, simply doesn't know what fuinjutsu is, much less how it works. They hate and fear me because they don't understand what the seal does." Clenching his fists, the blond continued. "Shinobi, on the other hand, are well aware of my situation, but still prefer to treat me like their scapegoat." He took a deep breath and relaxed his hands. "While I couldn't care less what happens to ninja population of Konoha, I don't want to butcher civilians for being ignorant. I would rather prove them wrong and make them stop seeing me as something to be afraid of." Naruto's small smile that appeared at the prospect of recognition turned malicious. "Besides, what's the fun if they couldn't fight back?"

Kyubi's eyes slightly narrowed during the blond's explanation. _**'He is definitely smarter**_ _ **and kinder**_ _ **th**_ _ **a**_ _ **n I though**_ _ **t**_ _ **he would be**_ _ **.**_ _ **'**_ Inching slightly closer to Naruto, the fox was actually impressed to see the blond appear completely calm. **"And how far are you willing to go to achieve your goal?"**

Naruto furrowed his brows before answering. "The only kind of power that is worth its value is a power that can be controlled. Moreover, I am against unnecessary sacrifices." He looked at the fox silently for several seconds before continuing. "Are you proposing something?" A hint of curiosity in his voice.

 **"Things are going to change drastically from now on.** **"** Kyubi began explaining. **"As you probably already know, any sealing matrix placed atop another one without necessary preparations and techniques almost always results in both seals malfunctioning. The seal that knocked you out was no exception, especially considering that Dead Demon Consuming Seal is one of the most complex seals in existence."** The fox paused when Naruto blanched. **"Fortunately for both of us,** **however,** **the only thing that has changed is the amount of my unfiltered chakra that the seal leaks."**

"Wait, why is it fortunate for you as well?" The blond asked suspiciously. "Weren't you just trying to trick me into releasing you?"

 **"The seal was slightly redesigned when your Hokage made it** **, and my Yin** **half** **was** **trapped** **together with him in** **Shinigami.** **"** Kyubi scowled. **"** **Should** **the seal brea** **k** **without your permission, I won't simply reappear somewhere else after several years, but head straight to my other half into Shinigami's stomach."** Naruto, for his part, only lifted one of his eyebrows in interest. **"Neve** **rt** **heless,** **given that** **we are** **most** **likely stuck together** **for** **the** **foreseeable future, I** **propose** **you** **my** **help** **with your** **train** **ing** **so we could avoid** **any** **unnecessary risks."** The fox finished, surprising the blond.

While mulling over Kyubi's offer and how it could benefit both of them, Naruto recalled something that had troubled him since the fox started his explanation. "Earlier, you said that the seal began to leak more of your unrefined chakra into my system than it was initially planned." Looking up at Kyubi, he saw that the fox already knew what he was going to ask. "What exactly does that mean for me?"

 **"Nothing** **too** **evident** **.** **"** Kyubi began with a disturbing smile. **"Right now, the only thing that** **clearly** **indicates that you are my Jinchuriki is your whiskers. From now on, however, your fangs are most likely to** **also start growing."** He snorted when Naruto's eyes widened in alarm. **"Relax,** **the probability of any visible changes is, at best, slim due to numerous differences in our physiologies. Your senses, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Your sense of smell, hearing and, perhaps, the sense of taste will start to grow rapidly. Your vision will become sharper and more detailed.** **I am not really sure about your sense of equilibrium, but the possibility is there."** Before the blond could ask anything, the fox continued. **"Even if your emotions turn out to be affected** **as well** **, you could learn how to control them as long as the amount of chakra amplifying them is small."**

Naruto exhaled quietly in relief before bringing his attention back to Kyubi and his proposal. "What could you possibly get from our agreement?"

 **"Revenge."** When the blond gave him a quizzical look, he elaborated. **"I didn't attack your village out of my own free will, but was summoned by the only human in history who could actually control me** **—** **Uchiha Madara."** The accompanying growl clearly showed Naruto the hatred that the fox felt for this man.

This admission made Naruto think through Kyubi's offer with renewed interest. A few minutes later he addressed the fox, already knowing what his decision would be. "How would I be able to contact you?"

 **"** **Meditation** **.** **"** Kyubi answered with a grin full of teeth before pushing the blond out of the prison.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Naruto's second awakening wasn't too pleasant either. He immediately knelt and tried to take a deep breath, but began to cough violently when his lungs started to burn. He squeezed his eyes shut when the heat spread to the rest of his body. After several seconds of panting and sweating, the burning slowly began to fade, and the blond opened his eyes to try to regain his bearings.

The first thing he noticed was scorched grass and fallen leaves that made him realize that he was still in the forest. Before he could sigh in relief, however, he saw that his right hand was practically drenched in blood, which, judging by the absence of his own wounds, belonged to someone else. When the blond looked around, his eyes bulged when they landed on the slumped form of the same ninja that attacked him. The motionless man seemed to be sitting under a tree in a rapidly growing puddle of his own blood. Naruto saw that the man's chest had collapsed, and the blood flowing from the back of his head showed that his skull most likely cracked when he hit the tree.

All the evidence left no doubt in the blond's mind that he was the one to kill the kidnapper.

Naruto almost panicked and prepared to run before anyone could find him, but froze when he caught sight of the victim, who was lying under another tree. Knowing that all this blood will undoubtedly attract predators, he quickly, but no less cautiously, approached the unconscious figure in hopes to somehow get them both out of the forest. When he or she didn't budge, the blond carefully stepped around and tried to identify the victim. He couldn't, however, hold back a sharp intake of breath when he saw Hinata's slightly pale face.

Naruto felt a brief spark of anger when he thought about what could have happened to her if he didn't stumble upon her kidnapper, but forced himself to calm down when he felt the heat rising again. _'First I need to get us both out of here, th_ _e_ _n I can_ _deal_ _with_ _everything else_ _,_ _'_ the blond reminded himself before he gently lifted Hinata and placed her on his back. After focusing a small amount of chakra in his legs and arms to ease the strain on his muscles, he ran in the direction he came from.

A few minutes later, when he spotted the fence at the edge of the forest, he increased the amount of chakra, as well as his speed, in order to get a good run-up. Having jumped over the fence and landed as softly as possible on the other side, he stopped for several seconds to catch his breath. _'I need to_ _strengthen_ _my_ _training_ _,_ _'_ Naruto decided before looking around. After making sure that they weren't noticed, he started moving in the direction of the nearest part of the village wall. He thought about where he would take her while he was running through the forest, and decided that the best choice would be to leave her where guards would surely find her. _'And_ _each_ _sensor on the wall will undoubtedly be warned as soon as someone notices her absence, if they haven't already,'_ thought the blond.

Knowledge of sensory abilities and their countermeasures is one of the foundations of stealth in the world of shinobi, and Naruto spent a lot of time memorizing and practicing them. Despite his age, the blond already had considerable experience in this area due to his numerous chases. As soon as there were about two kilometers to the wall, he stopped in one of the unlit alleyways to rest. A minute later, he ceased easing the strain on his limbs and suppressed his chakra signature to avoid early detection, before he rushed towards the wall as fast as he could.

Having run about two hundred meters, he immediately stopped masking his chakra, jumped onto one of the rooftops and hurriedly lowered Hinata. A few seconds later, he pulsed his chakra to gain the attention of every sensor nearby. Naruto, however, knew that he couldn't stay and make sure that the guards found her. He gave the princess one last worrying look, again disguised his chakra signature and, with all his remaining strength, dashed as quickly as possible towards the center of the village.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Finally..." Muttered Naruto tiredly after he locked the door to his apartment and leaned against it. He ran, walked and jumped for at least another few kilometers, as well as risked starting another chase while he was close to one of the most populated areas, but finally went home when he was sure that he wasn't being followed. _'_ _I_ _would_ _have_ _already_ _been_ _questioned_ _if they knew_ _that_ _I_ _was_ _t_ _here,'_ he pondered with a frown. _'_ _And_ _the corpse_ _is_ _likely to_ _become_ _unrecognizable_ _by_ _the time_ _someone_ _finds it_ _.'_ This thought made Naruto take a look at his right hand, which was still partially bloody.

When the blond decided to become a shinobi, he knew that he would have to kill. Nevertheless, he always thought that his first kill would be on a mission, and not when he was only five years old. After he entered the bathroom and began to wash away the blood, he couldn't help but remember what Kyubi told him about his emotions being influenced by excessive demonic chakra. _'_ _Perhaps_ _it_ _has_ _already_ _clouded_ _my mind and_ _suppressed_ _my_ _emotions_ _,'_ thought Naruto, looking at himself in the mirror. _'In any case, he also said that I could learn to control it, didn't he?'_ He shook his head after thinking about the possible consequences and went to change his clothes. Several minutes later he was already lying in his bed. _'I will begin_ _to_ _deal with new problems tomorrow,'_ thought the blond groggily, before slowly drifting off to sleep.

He woke up screaming just a few hours later.

~0~0~0~0~0~

And this ends the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review and comment on my mistakes so I could make next chapter even better.

P.S. For some unknown reason Fanfiction ate quite a few 'spaces' during upload. Please tell me in your comments if I missed any.

Until next time, my dear readers!

ImaginaryStranger


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